Considering Cosmetic Surgery?

Each year, millions of people around the world get cosmetic surgery for many reasons. Some patients want to improve a facet of their appearance. Other patients schedule plastic surgery for repair of their body after an accident. Others visit a plastic surgeon to fix a medical problem like a deviated septum in a nose.

The questions you’ll ask yourself in the days or weeks leading up to the procedure are similar no matter your reasons for undergoing the knife. Here are a few brief questions you may want to answer or discuss with your plastic surgeon in Plano to determine if plastic surgery is right for you.

1) What’s Your Reason for Scheduling Cosmetic Surgery?

You may have an immediate answer to this question, or you might need to think about it for a few minutes. For every person who decides to get upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) for simple cosmetic reasons, there’s another patient who is suffering from a reduced field of vision due to sagging skin around the exterior of the upper eyelids.

Perhaps you recently underwent gastric bypass surgery, and you’ve been dealing with sagging skin that hasn’t returned to normal after your weight loss success. Sagging, uncomfortable skin could be your reason for deciding to schedule laser body contouring surgery or a tummy tuck or breast lift.

Remember: Understanding why you’ve elected to schedule cosmetic surgery will help you and your doctor determine whether surgery is the best choice for your circumstances. Your surgeon cares for your well-being and wants to make sure your plastic surgery is the healthiest decision you can make.

2) Are You Getting Cosmetic Surgery for Yourself or Someone Else?

The only person that matters when you schedule cosmetic surgery is you. Many patients discuss their plans with family, but it’s essential that you don’t arrange to get a procedure because someone else wants you to change your body.

It’s like asking someone to change their favorite food just to match the likes or dislikes of someone else. You won’t be happy changing your favorite food to what someone else enjoys while giving up your own favorites. The same applies to your body: it’s your body, and you’re the one living in it.

Your decision is personal, and the final word should come from you, and you alone. Don’t be surprised if your cosmetic surgeon asks you whether you’re having the surgery because it’s your choice. Your surgeon wants to make sure your surgery will benefit you physically, as well as mentally and emotionally.

3) Have You Researched Your Procedure and its Expected Outcomes?

Have you seen those reality television shows that feature people who are addicted to plastic surgery? What about the series where people get a procedure only to realize it didn’t turn out as they’d hoped?

When you schedule your own cosmetic procedure, it’s vital that you understand its expected outcomes. Some surgeons consider realistic expectations as one of the most important beliefs of a healthy and well-prepared patient.

Over the last century, surgeons and medical professionals have made incredible advancements in medicine, and many of those advancements have been in plastic surgery. However, it’s imperative that you listen to your cosmetic surgeon as he or she explains your expected results.

4) Are You Mentally and Emotionally Ready for Surgery?

Cosmetic surgery procedures run the gamut from those that would require minimal recovery to others that might require that you stay in a recovery center for a few days after undergoing surgery, such as a body lift. Many procedures also require that you wear bandages and support wraps until your body heals.

Are you prepared for the prospect of undergoing surgery that may have risks or a lengthy recovery time? The mental reward of undergoing surgery and completing a safe recovery can be immense, but surgery isn’t a walk in the park. Fortunately, there is a variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures today, but your recovery phase remains just as important whether you’re getting a breast reduction and lift or ultrasonic liposuction.

Consider: If you’ve recently undergone a major life change such as a divorce or a death in the family, it’s important to wait to have cosmetic surgery like a laser tummy tuck until you feel that your decision to have the procedure isn’t being influenced by recent mental trauma, depression, or mental illness.

5) Can You Arrange Your Life Around a Cosmetic Procedure?

In addition to mental well-being, it’s also essential that you can devote the proper time to rest and recovery after your procedure. The best results will virtually always come from following your surgeon’s instructions exactly. Can you take time off from work to accommodate recovery time for breast augmentation surgery?

The best results from cosmetic surgery depend upon a recovery where you’re not under stress, and you’re not required to engage in physical work immediately after a procedure. Even if you’re getting a procedure like non invasive lipo, the recovery recommendations are the same for everyone.

It’s also important to consider whether you have extra time in your schedule just in case your recovery takes longer than anticipated. You may also need to take a longer break from work if your job is particularly strenuous. For example, you could probably return to work sooner after a male tummy tuck if your job required a lot of time at a desk; however, you might require more recovery time if your job required heavy lifting or other activities.

6) Is Cosmetic Surgery a Fiscally Responsible Move at this Time?

An insurance company will only rarely cover cosmetic surgery, but your plastic surgeon can offer recommendations on how you can pay for your procedure. The most responsible option is to pay for the procedure in cash, so you’re not going into debt as a result of the surgery.

Consider: Saving money over time for your cosmetic procedure can increase the personal satisfaction you have with the results when you don’t have to take on debt to get your body sculpting surgery or other procedure.

Other methods available to you include finding a credit card with a zero-interest introductory offer. You can take 12 months or 18 months (however long the zero-interest offer lasts) to pay off the balance. Alternatively, a low-interest loan from a bank may be an appropriate option if you’re not interested in applying for another credit card.